Tshepo Themba Secondary School Deregisters Grade 10 Pupil Hospitalised After Mental Breakdown

• An 18-year-old Grade 10 pupil was deregistered from Tshepo Themba Secondary School while admitted to a psychiatric facility at Sebokeng Hospital
• The NASGB's Sedibeng chairperson, Thabiso Radebe, slammed the school for failing to consult the family before removing the learner from the database
• The pupil's family submitted a doctor's note, but school staff cited a 30-day absenteeism policy when the sister arrived to collect his report card

GAUTENG — The National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB) in the Sedibeng region has spoken out against Tshepo Themba Secondary School after an 18-year-old Grade 10 learner was removed from the school's register while receiving treatment for a mental breakdown at a psychiatric facility.

According to SowetanLIVE, the learner was admitted to Sebokeng Hospital approximately a week before schools reopened for the third term on 21 July, where he remained in a psychiatric ward for six weeks. His mother attributed his condition to sustained bullying by classmates and mistreatment by teachers at the school.

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School cited 30-day absence policy

When the learner's sister visited the school to collect his report card, staff informed her that he had been deregistered under the school's 30-day absenteeism policy. This decision was taken despite the family having submitted a doctor's note dated 31 July.

The issue highlights growing concerns over how Gauteng institutions manage peer abuse, following a similar case where an Ekurhuleni high school learner committed suicide after an alleged bullying incident.

NASGB Sedibeng chairperson Thabiso Radebe condemned the deregistration as unfair and said the school had no authority to act unilaterally in such a matter. He stated that removing a learner from the education department's database falls under the jurisdiction of the district, not the school itself.

Radebe further revealed that the district official responsible for overseeing the school's administrative policies was on leave at the time and said the school's handling of the situation reflected a broader absence of sound leadership.

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Family seeks transfer as learner recovers

The learner's family relocated to Savannah City two years ago. They are now requesting that the Gauteng Department of Education facilitate a transfer to another school so the learner can continue his studies once he has recovered. Onwabile Lubhelwana, spokesperson for Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile, had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

Learner misses school for initiation

In a related article, Briefly News reported on he ongoing debate surrounding a 16-year-old Grade 9 learner who missed four months of school due to Ndebele initiation. This controversial situation has raised critical questions regarding the balance between cultural practices and educational obligations, igniting passionate discussions among South Africans.

Source: Briefly News